Mazzie and Danieley bring O.C. a mushy Valentine's gift

Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley perform their husband and wife duo during a special Valentine's cabaret engagement concert. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Mazzie has a big, bell-like sound that is almost stentorian in its middle register. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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The handsome pair told some amusing anecdotes about their passionate courtship and the circuitous road to their 1997 nuptials. At one point, when things were getting serious, Mazzie consulted a shrink about the wisdom of dating a younger man while Danieley waited nervously in her apartment for the result of the assessment. The song they chose to illustrate that tense occasion? The 1950s hit “Too Close for Comfort” by Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, and Larry Holofcener. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Marin Mazzie performs during her duo with her husband Jason Danieley during a special Valentine's cabaret engagement concert as they share and sing their love experience at the Samueli Theater on Thursday, February 14, 2013. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Mazzie has a big, bell-like sound that is almost stentorian in its middle register. Statuesque and blond, she knows how to deliver Golden Age classics such as “Cockeyed Optimist” from “South Pacific” with the requisite Old School coquettishness and can-do attitude. Mitzi Gaynor would have approved. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Samueli Theater before Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley performance during a special Valentine's cabaret engagement concert. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Jason Danieley and Marin Mazzie perform their husband and wife duo during a special Valentine's cabaret engagement concert on Feb. 14 at the Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Marin Mazzie performs during her duo with her husband Jason Danieley during a special Valentine's cabaret engagement concert. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Jason Danieley is a classically trained tenor who made his Broadway debut at 25 in a revival of “Candide” directed by Broadway legend Harold Prince. He also impressed in “The Full Monty” and Kander and Ebb's last show, “Curtains.” ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

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Of course, a little mushy love stuff was in order on Thursday – it was Valentine's Day, after all, and many in the audience at Samueli Theater were wearing red. Mazzie and Danieley took the occasion as their cue to assemble a set full of songs that commented on the story of their relationship (the evening is titled “He Said/She Said”), beginning with their first kiss, a stage smooch that was taken way beyond the line of thespian propriety. ANA P. GUTIERREZ, FOR THE REGISTER

Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley

Fortunately, Broadway veterans Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley have been doing their thing together long enough to make the former happen much more often than the latter.

Mazzie, who was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier awards for her role as Lilli/Katharine in "Kiss Me, Kate," is well matched with her man. Danieley is a classically trained tenor who made his Broadway debut at 25 in a revival of "Candide" directed by Broadway legend Harold Prince. He also impressed in "The Full Monty" and Kander and Ebb's last show, "Curtains."

Of course, a little mushy love stuff was in order on Thursday – it was Valentine's Day, after all, and many in the audience at Samueli Theater were wearing red. Mazzie and Danieley took the occasion as their cue to assemble a set full of songs that commented on the story of their relationship (the evening is titled "He Said/She Said"), beginning with their first kiss, a stage smooch that was taken way beyond the line of thespian propriety. For the most part, the tunes were all popular representatives from the Great American Songbook, although they included a couple of obscure numbers.

The handsome pair told some amusing anecdotes about their passionate courtship and the circuitous road to their 1997 nuptials. At one point, when things were getting serious, Mazzie consulted a shrink about the wisdom of dating a younger man while Danieley waited nervously in her apartment for the result of the assessment. The song they chose to illustrate that tense occasion? The 1950s hit "Too Close for Comfort" by Jerry Bock, George David Weiss, and Larry Holofcener.

Their voices are an interesting study in contrast.

Mazzie has a big, bell-like sound that is almost stentorian in its middle register. Statuesque and blond, she knows how to deliver Golden Age classics such as "Cockeyed Optimist" from "South Pacific" with the requisite Old School coquettishness and can-do attitude. Mitzi Gaynor would have approved.

She also shows a deft comic touch. It came out in Cole Porter's love song, "The Physician," from his forgotten musical "Nymph Errant." It takes a pro with Mazzie's skills to not only get her mouth around lyrics such as these but deliver them in character:

He said my bronchial tubes were entrancing,

My epiglottis filled him with glee,

He simply loved my larynx

And went wild about my pharynx,

But he never said he loved me.

Mazzie can also get sultry and soft. She purred sexily through an early Billy Strayhorn masterpiece, "Something to Live For" (1939), and amped up the sex appeal several notches later in the set with a provocative interpretation of the Rodgers and Hart classic, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Looking regal in a tight black dress and high heels, she knew how to make the song intimate, even in a room as large as the Samueli Theater.

Danieley possesses a more controlled instrument than his wife, thanks no doubt to his classical background. That quality shines through when a song calls for a big, belt-it-out ending. The audience was ecstatic when Danieley ramped up the last few bars of the Gershwins' "Someone to Watch Over Me," going for a heroic, perfectly regulated high note at the end. Using dexterous microphone technique and impressive power and support, Danieley left no doubt about the current state of his talents.

Danieley is also a suavely capable actor, expertly pulling us into the mood of a song without overdoing it. And he knows how to put his own stamp on lyrics, too. "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the musical "The Sky's the Limit" (1943), but Frank Sinatra made it one of his tough-guy anthems. Danieley bravely entered Old Blue Eyes' preserve and gave the song a different spin. He almost banished Frank's ghost, but not quite.

Mazzie and Danieley started the show a bit stiffly, and sometimes they felt under-supported – they were accompanied only by pianist Joseph Thalken. He's a fine musician, but a powerhouse couple like this would really shine with a trio, especially in the Samueli Theater.

Things got looser and more enjoyable around the halfway point of the evening. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but as the story of their courtship reached its secure stage, Mazzie and Danieley relaxed. Coy glances were exchanged during songs. The show ended with a stage kiss, the same kind that got this romance going years ago. "He Said/She Said" was a Valentine's Day present, all right – for the performers as well as the audience.

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